Weekly De-Brief: FA Cup progress, transfer news, and speculations.
It's never a dull week at Wigan Athletic, and these last seven days have seen everything from an FA Cup First Round victory, to transfers, to speculation about our current ownership.
Wigan Athletic embarked on a new FA Cup journey this week, with a trip up to Brunton Park to face Carlisle United for the second time in a matter of weeks.
The League Two strugglers were beaten 2-0 in the EFL Trophy just three weeks ago, and Shaun Maloney went in search of another victory up the M6.
Off the field, there has been plenty of discussion between supporters this week about the direction we are heading in under Mike Danson’s ownership and a potential change in status regarding our stadium.
Let’s dive into what we saw this week and try to make some sense of it 👇🏼
Part One: Latics’ FA Cup run off to a winning start!
Part Two: Transfer activity.
Part Three: The weekly de-brief.
Part Four: Academy and Women’s round-up.
Part Five: Our next week.
Latics’ FA Cup run off to a winning start 🏆
There are very few games I look forward to more than our FA Cup fixtures. Of the three domestic cup competitions, the history and prestige of this one make it the most exciting, in my opinion, due to the dream of being drawn against and defeating an elite-level opponent.
Since winning the FA Cup in May 2013, Latics have faced twelve opponents competing in a higher division than ours and emerged the victor seven times. This impressive success rate allows us the opportunity to dream every season.
Throughout our journey over the last eleven campaigns, since Ben Watson headed Shaun Maloney’s corner past a stranded Joe Hart, Latics have experienced both being heavily backed as the bookie’s favourites in some ties, and heavily branded the underdogs in others.
Against Carlisle United, you could argue that we should always have been branded as the bookie’s favourites, but the FA Cup is the home of unpredictable magic where to count teams out before the final whistle is blown is a foolish thing to do.
Shaun Maloney made two changes to our starting eleven from the draw away at Blackpool, with Luke Robinson handed his first start this season and Toby Sibbick stepping in for Will Aimson who was unavailable for selection.
👕 Starting XI: Sam Tickle, Steven Sessegnon, Jason Kerr ©️, Toby Sibbick, Luke Robinson, Matt Smith, Tyrese Francois, Dion Rankine, Thelo Aasgaard, Michael Olakigbe, Dale Taylor
🔄 Subs: Tom Watson, James Carragher, Calvin Ramsay, Scott Smith, Jonny Smith, Silko Thomas, Joe Hugill
The hosts were gifted an early chance after Sibbick and Robinson’s interchange on the left side allowed a high-pressing Carlisle attack to steal the ball for Dan Adu-Adjei to take a shot on goal. Thankfully, Tickle was aware and dealt with the attempt.
With a quarter of an hour gone, the game took a turn as Ethan Robson was shown a straight red for a late challenge on Sessegnon. As you can see below, the referee had a great view of the tackle and it’s clear that despite both players diving in, Robson’s studs are up. For me, this was the right decision and Carlisle will now be without Robson for their next three league games 🟥
Despite being down to 10 players, Carlisle regrouped quickly and created a great chance to try and open the scoring. Taylor Charters chased down a long ball over the top of Sessegnon and Kerr to enter the box, with his cross meeting an unmarked Adu-Adjei who forced Tickle into a strong save.
Jason Kerr then became the saviour after a deep free-kick into the box was diverted goalbound by Aaron Hayden, forcing our Captain into a goalline clearance.
A testing first period saw Latics enter the break managing to keep the deadlock sealed, but the hosts would have been the happier of the two despite their early setback.
Shaun Maloney made three changes at the break, with Calvin Ramsay, Silko Thomas, and Jonny Smith replacing Steven Sessegnon, Dion Rankine, and Michael Olakigbe - the latter two had been booked.
When you are struggling to get a grip on a game, sometimes you just need a player to take a chance at testing the keeper to spur on the team. That is exactly what Kerr did five minutes after the restart as he forced Gabe Breeze into a strong save from around 30 yards out 🧤
Maloney made another change just before the hour mark with Scott Smith coming on for Luke Robinson. Smith moved to right back, with Ramsay switching to the left as we have seen on occasion this season.
Jonny Smith’s tenacity down the right wing allowed Latics to test Breeze further, with two good chances to score. The winger first tested the keeper with a strong left-footed shot from the edge of the box, before floating a ball into an unmarked Thelo Aasgaard on the edge of the six-yard box. If his header was on target, it would have taken something special from Breeze to keep it out.
Wigan had plenty more chances to find an opener throughout the remainder of the second half, with Scott Smith at the heart of the majority of the chances. After hitting the post from Silko Thomas’ low cross into the box, Smith forced Breeze into a strong save after heading another of Thomas’ crosses towards the top corner. The right-back then ran into the box from deep to receive Jonny Smith’s through ball and almost provided an assist for Thomas but for three blocks from the Carlisle defence.
At the end of the 90’, Latics had been unable to find a winner despite a wealth of opportunities to divert the ball past Gabe Breeze. In some aspects, this is what makes the FA Cup so special as Breeze will not have had a better performance in his career to date, and a struggling League Two side had taken a League One side to extra time. However, that has been met with frustrations from Latics supporters that we should have wrapped up the tie in the ninety minutes.
Finally, after 105 minutes of action, Wigan did find a breakthrough and the goal was scored by Scott Smith who had been excellent throughout the second half. Silko Thomas finally got his assist after whipping a ball into the centre of the box for Smith to get ahead of his marker and drill it past Breeze ⚽️
The hosts were not going down without a fight, as Dominic Sadi delivered a ball into the box to find an unmarked Luke Armstrong who almost diverted his header into the top corner. As you can see, Tickle was at full stretch, and it was a sensational save. That said, the defending should have been better to not allow Armstrong the opportunity to force the save.
With 120 minutes now on the clock, and the hosts granted one final chance to score with a corner, Breeze was sent up to try and force the game to penalties. Kerr’s initial clearance fell to Sadi on the edge of the box, with Jonny Smith rapidly running out to meet him to prevent a shot and steal the ball back.
This is exactly what needed to be done, as I have been highlighting recently just how much time and space opponents are having at the edge of our box, and it has been costing us 👏
After clearing the danger, Smith carried on chasing the ball upfield and was able to run down to the other end and make it 2-0. It wasn’t an easy game by any means, but the most important thing is that the Latics have progressed to the second round of the FA Cup and secured £45,000 in prize money for their efforts.
Carlisle United 0 - 2 Wigan Athletic
Shots: 9 - 27
Shots on Target: 5 - 14
Possession: 39% - 61%
Fouls: 13 - 14
Yellow Cards: 2 - 2
Red Cards: 1 - 0
Corners: 9 - 11
Transfer activity 🔄
On Tuesday 6th November, Oldham Athletic announced that they had signed Josh Stones on a short-term loan until January 2nd. The 20-year-old forward spent a short time on loan with the other Latics last season, managing four appearances before a leg injury ruled him out for the remainder of the season.
In those four appearances, Stones scored three goals and assisted three more with their supporters keen to see him back at Boundary Park for another stint.
Micky Mellon handed Stones his second debut in Oldham Athletic’s National League Cup tie against Wolves U21s. With 21 minutes on the clock, the number 24 netted the opener to delight the Boundary Park faithful. What a way to pick up where you left off! ⚽️
Kai Payne joined Oldham on October 14th for a 28-day youth loan, and after impressing in his four appearances so far I imagine that the two clubs will come to an agreement to extend the loan.
In the National League, Oldham are currently 5th with 30 points from 8 wins and 6 draws in their opening 16 games.
Another Wigan Athletic Academy player on loan is Matty Corran, who has been enjoying his time spent at AFC Marine in the National League North. The goalkeeper joined Marine on October 4th on a one-month youth loan, which has since been extended this week until January 5th.
Corran has kept three clean sheets in his first five games and is helping Marine try to escape the drop zone. The Merseyside-based club sit 22nd with 13 points from 14 games but have fixtures in hand over the teams around them. Marine are currently four points behind Peterborough Sports, who sit above the drop zone and have played a game extra.
Shaun Maloney has admitted that he has been scouring the free agent market to look for a player to strengthen his side. Despite allowing our only permanently contracted forward to go out on loan, Maloney has stated that he is looking for a left back after losing Luke Chambers to a long-term injury.
Expect to see an arrival at some point over the next week.
The weekly de-brief 🤔
Before I dive into what happened this week, I just wanted to highlight a fundraiser that Wigan Athletic Women’s defender, Chelsea Bloor, is completing this November for the Samaritans.
Chelsea is walking 50 miles with her dog in November to raise money for the Samaritans. Every 90 minutes, someone in the UK or Ireland dies by suicide, and every six seconds, somebody contacts Samaritans for help. Every donation counts to make an impact, and you can learn more about the fundraiser here.
As I mentioned in the introduction, there has been plenty of speculation on Twitter this week about the direction Wigan Athletic are heading under Mike Danson’s ownership, and what is happening to the Stadium after a Companies House notice signified a potential change in asset ownership.
To touch on the direction we are going in first, I feel we are going to have to be incredibly patient and most likely operate in League One for the next two seasons at the very least. While I would love to see us compete for the playoffs and the title, the damage our club has experienced over the last five years cannot be understated and there is no quick fix. We are still early in the rebuild.
When Mike Danson took over, his letter to supporters stated “We want the same as our supporters – a winning football team on the pitch, but patience and stability are essential and we must build from solid foundations. Without stability, there can be no progress and certainly no sustained success.”
In terms of the squad we have and how we are playing under Shaun Maloney’s guidance, I do not think we are a million miles off putting a good run together and becoming more comfortable in a mid-table position. That said, it has become clear that Maloney is being relied on in a wide range of roles at the club and is unable to solely focus on the squad and occupy a normal manager position.
Is that due to a lack of a permanent CEO, with Ben Goodburn filling the role alongside being our Chairman? Perhaps. But, we will only see the best of what Maloney can do if he is supported more and is not relied on so heavily for other aspects of the club.
My overriding feeling on the current structure is that Mike Danson may well want to keep his team small for now while the mess after the previous ownership is still being cleaned up. That said, if we want to become a more stable club I cannot help but feel the correct appointments need to be made soon in order to prevent the small team from becoming burnt out and overwhelmed.
Moving onto the stadium, at the moment nothing has been confirmed by the club or Mike Danson but the speculation suggests that the asset may be involved in a restructuring within the ownership's framework. We had something similar happen under Dave Whelan’s ownership, and at the moment I do not feel this will be anything to worry about.
It is no secret that the owners have plans to host non-sporting activities at the stadium, such as concerts, and a restructuring of the assets may be needed to allow this to happen and distribute the costs and turnover more efficiently.
While I understand that the owners do not need to communicate every plan with us in detail, it would be welcomed if we heard from them sooner rather than later when big plans are more concrete and information can be shared.
There is understandably still plenty of anxiety within the fanbase after actions from our previous owners, and I hope that our current owners recognise and understand this anxiety and work to prevent this as much as possible.
There is another Fan Advisory Board meeting coming up before the end of November, and hopefully, some light can be shed on the ongoing speculation.
Academy and Women’s round-up 🔵
Wigan Athletic Under 18s embarked on their FA Youth Cup journey on Friday night, with a trip to the coast to face Fleetwood Town U18s.
👕 Starting XI: Jake Spaven, Alex Hughes, Mason Goulding, Sam Bolland, James Knott ©️, Harrison Rimmer, Christy Edwards, John-Paul Cavanagh, Oscar Harris, Cole Simms, Harrison Bettoni
🔄 Subs: Onur Yilmaz, Alastair Clifford, Charley McKee, Lucas Tobin, Lewis Wilson, Liam Flight, Oliver Fairhurst
Under the lights of the Highbury Stadium, Wigan struck first to spark our FA Cup journey to life. Harrison Bettoni's press forced a mistake from the defender, allowing him to retrieve the ball and run towards the goal before finishing off the chance.
Latics were moments away from entering the break a goal to the good, but Liam Roberts levelled the game in injury time.
Marc Maddocks made his first change on the hour mark with Charley McKee coming on for Oscar Harris. Moments later, the Cods went ahead through Mikey Lane. Lewis Wilson and Oliver Fairhurst then replaced Christy Edwards and Mason Goulding as Latics went in search of an equaliser. However, Fleetwood extended their lead with 15 minutes to go through Raff Cirino.
Liam Flight replaced John-Paul Cavanagh in the 80th minute, but four minutes later Lucas Taylor scored the hosts fourth. Harrison Rimmer made way for Lucas Tobin to complete our substitutions, however, the Cods did everything they needed to progress to the second round of the FA Youth Cup.
🏟️ Fleetwood Town U18s 4 - 1 Wigan Athletic U18s
⚽️ Goals: Harrison Bettoni (21’)
Wigan Athletic Under 21s hosted Sheffield Wednesday U21s on Tuesday afternoon at Christopher Park. The Owls had won 3 and drawn 2 of their opening 9 games, sitting 6th with 11 points. Latics had only won 1 and drawn 2 of their opening 12 games, sitting bottom of the table with 5 points.
👕 Starting XI: Trialist (GK), Alex Hughes, Harrison Rimmer, Jack Rogers ©️, Llyton Chapman, Charley McKee, Lewis Wilson, Finn O’Boyle, Oscar Harris, Tom Costello, Leo Graham
🔄 Subs: Jake Spaven, James Knott, Oliver Fairhurst, Christy Edwards, Harrison Bettoni
With eight minutes on the clock, Wednesday struck first with a strike from Devlan Moses. However, Latics did not have to wait long to relevel the game as Tom Costello latched onto a loose ball in the 26th minute to run into the box and fire into the bottom corner.
Unfortunately, the Owls regained their lead after winning a penalty, which former Manchester United forward, Charlie McNeil, tucked away.
After the break, Chris Brown subbed in Christy Edwards and James Knott for Lewis Wilson and Tom Costello in a bid to find a second goal, but it was Wednesday who netted again with 12 minutes to go through George Brown.
Wigan U21s are now four points adrift from Coventry City who have played four games less. At this stage, Shaun Maloney and Chris Brown will most likely be focusing on individual player developments to see who deserves a shot at stepping up into the first team.
🏟️ Wigan Athletic U21s 1 - 3 Sheffield Wednesday U21s
⚽️ Goals: Tom Costello (26’)
Wigan Athletic Women returned to league action on Sunday with a trip to Fleetwood Town Wrens Ladies. The Cods had won 2 and drawn 1 of their opening 6 games, with Emmerson Boyce going in search of securing a ninth consecutive victory.
Boyce made two changes to the starting lineup, with Holly Scott and Tegen Baker starting while Molly Hassall was named on the bench and Sara Merican unavailable for the fixture.
👕 Starting XI: Faye Moseley, Laura Heslip, Abbie Moore ©️, Libby McCoy, Holly Scott, Niniola Dada, Grace Carr, Tegen Baker, Izzy Worswick, Avagrace Hodson, Ellie Cleary
🔄 Subs: Amelia Knowles, Chelsea Bloor, Molly Hassall, Poppy Twist
As we have become used to, Wigan started the game well and scored an early goal. Izzy Worswick delivered a deep cross into Ellie Cleary to round the keeper to draw first blood. That’s another 0 on the price tag! 🏷️
Boyce’s side entered the break just one goal ahead, with Molly Hassall entering the field for the second half. Grace Carr charged forward straight from kick-off, and fed the ball to Hassall who finished with her first touch of the game.
Carr then netted a goal for herself after being fed through the defensive line by Cleary. The assister then netted her second from a long-range free kick. I have a feeling Cleary finds this level easy! 🎯
After getting on the scoresheet with plenty of strikes recently, Avagrace Hodson scored again with a powerful shot to make it five. However, Latics were not done yet, as with just moments to go until the final whistle, Ellie Cleary secured another hattrick. Unstoppable.
Latics have now won nine out of nine, and sit second in the table with 27 points and a +36 goal difference. Blackburn CSC Reserves remain at the top with 30 points and a +44 goal difference. The two sides face each other this Sunday for the first time this season.
🏟️ Fleetwood Town Wrens Ladies 0 - 6 Wigan Athletic Women
⚽ Goals: Ellie Cleary (12’, 63’, 89’), Molly Hassall (46’), Grace Carr (60’), Avagrace Hodson (75’)
Our next week 🗓️
Saturday 9th November | Wigan Athletic vs Wycombe Wanderers | League One
Saturday 9th November | Wigan Athletic U18s vs Hull City U18s | U18 Professional Development League
Sunday 10th November | Wigan Athletic Women vs Blackburn CSC Reserves | FA Womens County Championship League (Tier 7)
Tuesday 12th November | Wigan Athletic vs Nottingham Forest U21s | Bristol Street Motors Trophy - Group Stage - Matchday Three
On Friday (8th November), I will have a full match preview for our game against Wycombe Wanderers. So, make sure to subscribe and check back to view that 🫡
Up the Tics 🔵⚪️
🙌 Thank you for reading!
✍🏼 Charlie Keegan / Central Wigan
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